RBW, an award-winning independent design and manufacturing company, finalizes move of headquarters from Brooklyn to the Town of Ulster
KINGSTON, NY - Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced today that RBW, a lighting design and manufacturing company, has finalized an agreement with the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency that clears the way for the company to move their headquarters to 521-599 Boices Lane in the Town of Ulster. Fifty jobs will come to Ulster County as a result, with salaries starting between $48,000 and $135,000 for newly created positions at the company.
“I am thrilled to welcome RBW – a certified B-Corp that upholds rigorous standards of ecological and social sustainability - to Ulster County,” said County Executive Pat Ryan. “Projects like RBW are exactly the type of businesses that align with the vision that we have outlined in Ulster 2040 for a stronger, more equitable, and more resilient economy. These types of additions to our local economy play a huge role in creating the energy and momentum to build a ‘People-Centered’ economy in Ulster County.”
“It’s with great excitement we announce our plans for a Factory of the Future in the Town of Ulster,” said Managing Partner of RBW Charles Brill. “At RBW, our purpose is to use light to positively transform environments, communities, and lives. The community of Ulster County has been incredibly supportive throughout this process and we look forward to continued partnership and collaboration in our ongoing journey of exploration, discovery, and constant improvement.”
“The IDA is excited to welcome RBW Studio to Ulster County,” said Ulster County IDA CEO Rose Woodworth. “As a certified B-Corp, they hold themselves to a higher standard and provide the quality of high-paying jobs with excellent benefits that we look forward to adding here.”
In RBW’s application to the Ulster County IDA, the company estimates $14 million in annual sales and nearly $1 million in supplies purchased in the Mid-Hudson Region. The project plan includes renovating 98,000 sq. ft. of the Boices Lane property, which has been largely vacant for the last five years. RBW calls the undertaking “The Factory of the Future” and has plans to include a new roof, solar panels, energy efficient LED lighting, daylight harvesting, dimming controls, and the use of collaborative robotics at an expected investment of $3-5 million.
The future RBW site is directly adjacent to the former IBM buildings that were acquired in 2019 by Ulster County, and which are in the early stages of redevelopment as a hub for makers, artists and food/beverage manufacturers known as Enterprise West. The addition of this new business creates additional momentum and potential to establish the area as a campus for innovative manufacturers, creative businesses and agricultural producers, which is a priority in the County’s economic development strategy.
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